I, too, was prayerfully seeking G-d whether or not I should join our people in Gush Kativ. I wanted to make their cause my own, partaking in their plight peacefully. For it is distressing and perplexing beyond measure that our armed forces and police are under order against our own people. 

When the call went out for a 3-day approved peaceful protest march to Gush Kativ, I decided to join. Six buses were slated for Beer-Sheva, yet none arrived⁸.

The police, in an unprecedented coup, stopped all buses  that were to carry the marchers to Netivot, the designated starting point, and dragged the people off the buses. Sharon, in his now familiar pattern of breaking promises and agreements, declared the march illegal and gave orders to stop it. I decided to go by car and gave those still waiting a lift. Apparently thousands of others chose to do the same thing for the company of marchers numbered about 50,000⁹. 

We spent the afternoon in a big park¹⁰, listening to inspiring speeches by former Knesset members and the leader of the Gush Kativ community, led in prayer by a large presence of rabbis, and singing songs of faith and love for G-d, land and Torah, culminating with cries for Messiah and His reign. About 9 p.m. we set out on the march, unhindered by police and soldiers. Ever so often we encountered large numbers of soldiers and police forming a peaceful lane alongside the road, while helicopters kept circling overhead. 

The marchers were of all ages, with whole families carrying their little ones in baby carriages, on their backs and in their arms, while young children, singing youth and young adults carried their own and others’ back packs, such as mine. Their only “weapons” were their faith, their love of land and people, their songs and dances. Never have I seen a nobler people with whom I had the privilege to march, helping and supporting one another, kind, caring and considerate.
 

The first place where we were to spend the night was Kvar Maymon. Half way there the police stopped the march. They had prepared for us with 3 helicopters on the ground, lots of vehicles, mounted police and a cordon of soldiers and police holding hands all across a large field. One of the march’s leaders called upon us to sit down on the road, then he addressed us over megaphones with inspriring and encouraging words. Afterwards people rushed down into the field, hoping to make their way to Gush Kativ, but were held back by the human chain. Some of the youth managed to break through but police dragged most of them back. 

We spent about 1 ½ hour in the field when suddenly the human cordon opened, letting us get back on the road to continue toward Kvar Maymon. We arrived about midnight onto a gigantic potato field, rows of restrooms with anti-septic tanks lining the field on both sides. As I looked over the field chock-full with sleeping bags and tents the people had put down on the hard-packed ground I realized why they let us move on to Kvar Maymon: it was much easier to contain the multitude there than all night long out in the open field.

Early next morning as I was waiting my turn at the restrooms I saw buses after buses arriving unloading a multitude of soldiers and police. I already had contemplated returning home because I would have become a casualty due to extreme pain in my back, hips, knees and feet from the march and laying on the hard ground. Seeing this massive force pouring in I decided to leave right away – as did some others as well - before the trap would snap. On my way out I saw buses lining the road for about 1 kilometer, and still more arriving. 20,000 troops and police were sent against this peaceful, noble people¹¹ as though they were dealing with a raucous bunch of criminals, while true criminals went about their deeds unimpeded that night.
 
 

8 3 Pictures by "msstain" - Mitzad Anak - Giant Rally/March 1; map of march route by "The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition"

9 The Media claims it were only 25,000; they principally downgrade whatever those who love G-d, Torah, Land and People are doing.

10 Jacob Richman’s website "Rally Pictures"; pictures are by

11 However, the Media, especially Associated Press, Reuters and CNN call these precious people “right-wing extremists”, “ultra-orthodox extremists”, “disturbance mongers”, while they are neither ultra-orthodox nor extremists nor “mongers”. To love one’s land and people nowadays is “wrong” if it is in Israel. The prophet Isaiah cries (5:18-21; LB), “Woe to those who drag their sins behind them like a bullock on a rope. They even mock the Holy One of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them. “Hurry up and punish us,” they (the liberal secular Israeli left) say. “We want to see what you can do!” They say that what is right is wrong, and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” Woe to those who are wise and shrewd in their own eyes…” “Our courts oppose the righteous man; fairness is unknown. Truth falls dead in the streets, and justice is outlawed; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey [to get plundered] (59:14-15, LB/RSV).